If you're looking for Grand Theft Auto on the go, Rockstar's Chinatown Wars is still the choice to choose -- because clones like this just can't come close to its level of excellence. Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A. doesn't even try to veil its copycatting, as it knocks off nearly every aspect of the series that so clearly inspired it -- both in presentation and gameplay. You get a main character who's an up-and-coming criminal in a big, go-anywhere city, you get cut scenes and dialogue sequences with local low-lifes and gang bosses giving you missions to accomplish, you run from the cops to clear your Wanted level any time an officer catches you in the act of killing someone or hijacking a car -- really, it's just like Grand Theft Auto.

Only not nearly as polished. Gangstar 2 has come to DSiWare by way of the mobile phone market, as it first appeared as a cell phone download game back in 2008 -- and its origins as a game developed for hardware like that, with such little processing power, shows. The game chops along with stiff and jumpy animation and a poor framerate, especially when you're driving a car (which is the backbone of the design, so you'll see it chug a lot). The visuals are odd and inconsistent, with the perspectives of people and vehicles not quite matched right -- and some background elements look like they were imported from MS Paint.

And to top it all off, the gameplay just doesn't go anywhere. GTA games are frequently fun just because you can mess around, drive anywhere, blow off missions entirely -- here, you feel much more restricted. The game's rendering of Los Angeles is segmented into small squares barried by loading times, and sometimes you even have to pay in-game cash to transition from one neighborhood to the next -- as if someone set up a $30 toll booth to get into Beverly Hills. Its on-foot action hints at originality with some stealth elements and environment interaction, but then that falls flat too with boring, button-mashing attack sequences and lackluster gunplay. Finally, the game throws any street cred it might have had out the window by having your young gangster get involved in L.A.'s underground "candy" culture. It's not drugs, no. Your guy is actually dealing illegal, under-the-table licorice, chocolate bars and peppermints -- seriously.

So don't be enticed by this one's five-dollar pricepoint and its promise of a lite GTA experience -- it acts the part, but it doesn't work in any area. Stick with Chinatown Wars, or, if you're set on DSiWare, take a look back at Tag Games' impressive Car Jack Streets from last month.

7 Card Games is kind of OK, but certainly nothing special. It is what it is -- seven simple card games thrown together into one five-dollar download for your DSi. If you're a fan of its particular selection (which includes Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hold'em, Freecell, Black Jack, Hearts and two versions of Klondike Solitaire), then you might feel justified in downloading it. But, even then, I wouldn't recommend it.

Because 7 Card Games plays out really, really slowly. As an example, its Texas Hold'em game -- if you're playing against a full table of A.I. opponents and you decide to fold, you're going to be sitting and staring at the screen for a solid minute before you actually get to play again. You have to sit and wait for each computer-controlled player to take their turns, with no option to fast-forward -- and their decision-making is painfully slow.

It wouldn't be so bad if you were up against human opponents, as it's easier to allow some extra time for a real, living, breathing competitor to make strategic decisions -- but that's impossible in 7 Card Games, because there's no multiplayer mode included. (I guess that means there are really seven versions of Solitaire here.)

So 7 Card Games is kind of OK, as it is what it is -- but what it is isn't really worth five bucks.

AiRace is aces. This flight-focused racing design is slick, inventive and a lot of fun -- it's kind of like a mash-up of F-Zero, the interior tunnel levels from Star Fox games, and the airplane parts of Diddy Kong Racing. And that's a great combination.

The control is what sells the experience, as it's spot-on, very responsive and easy to pick up -- the game gives you a tutorial to learn the ropes, and it becomes second nature after just a few races. There's a stylus control option, but old-school me went the all-buttons route -- there, the D-Pad controls your plane's climbing, diving and turning, while the A, B, X and Y Buttons give you braking, accelerating and the ability to prop your plane up vertically to squeeze through thin spaces. The L and R triggers top it off by handling weapon fire, as there's a bit of Mario Kart tossed into these races too -- you can get rockets, speed boosts, shields and more.

All of these elements might seem like they've been in the spotlight before in those earlier games, but AiRace's combination of them all just works and feels right -- and I think it might be the level design that sells the experience. The courses here are twisting and diverse, taking full advantage of the fact that these are airplanes and not go-karts -- the vertical dimension is fully utilized, as you, for example, spin and twist up and to the left to dive into a small tunnel before emerging into an open space, then have to steeply dive down and right to get to the next passageway forward. Glowing arrows point the right way to go so you never get lost, and there are also frequently multiple different paths to take -- some obvious, others more secretive.

Altogether, I'm very impressed by Qubic Games' AiRace and it gets my full recommendation -- and if you can get some friends to download it too, you can take advantage of the local wireless multiplayer for up to six pilots at a time.